Hongcun 宏村

Hongcun of southern Anhui province was a location where the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was shot. Hongcun was first founded in the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty (about AD. 1131-1162) and became prosperous during the Ming Dynasty. According to the villagers the whole place has been rented to a company in Beijing who manages the tour business and the welfare of the village. Each head count in the village is entitled to some benefits from the company. The village head is elected by the village people and has been serving the community for many terms. After dinner women and children gather and dance with folk and modern songs. Some older people and men just enjoy watching as they feel too embarrassed to participate. Hongcun was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.